Thursday, May 14, 2015

I'm excited to let everyone know that the third and final book of the Cornerstone Deep trilogy is OUT! That's right, released for everyone to read. And along with the release, there's a Goodreads Giveaway for 2 signed paperback copies! Enter to win below~

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Combine ¾ cup of water with ½ cup of sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a low boil and stir until sugar dissolves, remove from heat. Add 3-4 organic lavender buds to heated sugar water mixture and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Friday, March 6, 2015

I love it when I'm able to interview my favorite characters, and Author J.D. Brown makes it so fun. Please welcome Jesu, Ema, and Jalmari of the Ema Marx series as they celebrate the release of the third book in the series, Dark Becoming!

Ema rings the doorbell. She adjusts
her sunglasses and looks down at the blue plastic wrap in her hands. “I hope
she likes the cookies.”

Jesu casually places a hand on
Ema’s shoulder. “I am sure she will.”

Charlene lights the candles on the mantel and then rushes to
the door. Swinging it wide, she hopes the glare from the small flames won’t be
too uncomfortable for her two guests. They are vampires, after all. “Ema, Jesu!
Oh it’s so good to see you!”

Ema squeals and gives Charlene a
big bear hug, almost knocking off her sunglasses. “Charleeeeeeeeeene!”

Jesu chuckles. “Ema…you will
break all the cookies. And Charlene, too.”

“Oh!” Ema releases Charlene. She
readjusts her sunglasses with one hand and holds out the package of Oreo cookies
with the other.* “These are for you.”

Breathless, Charlene takes the package. “Thank you! They’re
Oreos? My total fav! I’ll be sure to enjoy them for both of us since I know
your taste buds have changed a smidget since… you know, becoming Vampyre. Come in, come in! Thank you for coming all
this way to my little corner of the world for my interview. I know you’ve been
so busy.”

Ema and Jesu enter Charlene’s
home and automatically settle into a settee facing away from the candles. Ema
waves a hand through the air. “Are you kidding? We’re always happy visit! This
is a great change of scenery after everything that’s happen. Yikes! In fact,
let’s make plans to visit more often. Like, who says we need to wait for J.D. to
finish another book?”

Jesu smiles to himself. “I
agree. It is always a pleasure, Charlene.”

Charlene chuckles. “We’ll definitely meet more often. And
speaking of JD, tell me, how in the world you managed to get through that
opening scene JD wrote you into! How traumatic!”

“I know, right? I almost had a
heart attack! Or a mini stroke. It was bad.” Ema nods decisively.

Jesu winces.

“What thoughts went through your mind when you realized what
had happened to Jesu, Ema?”

“Oh. I was so relieved!” She
sighs. “Jesu is not allowed to die.” She turns and narrows her gaze at Jesu.
“You are not allowed to die, got it?”

Jesu bites the inside of his
cheek to suppress a laugh, and raises his hands in surrender. “I will do my
best. Promise.”

“Jesu, what were your thoughts when you opened your eyes
after it happened?”

Jesu pauses to think. “I wanted
to see Ema…to know that she was okay. Then I wanted to pound my brother into a
pulp.”

“No doubt! You do a lot of traveling in this book. Care to
fill us in on the highlights?”

“Oh, yeah. It’s like we went
from one side of the world, to the other. First we went to Venice, which is
only an hour-and-a-half flight from Berlin, not too bad. But then, as soon we
got back to Germany, we had to re-pack and go off to Panama! That’s a
fourteen-hour flight! Can you imagine being forced to sit still and worry about
dying for fourteen hours straight at thirty-thousand feet in the air?” Ema
points to herself. “I can.”

Charlene nods “I would have been a bucket of nerves if I had
to wait that long, knowing I was about to face Apollyon! So, let’s lighten the
topic a bit.” She winks. “What of this new character, Valafar. I have to admit,
he’s hot!

Jesu turns to Ema. “You never
told me he was attractive.”

Ema makes a face. “Gee, I must
have forgotten to mention it while dealing with his wise-cracking. Yeah, he’s
hot, but he’s so not my type.”

“Okay. We’ll move on
again.” Charlene laughs. “A lot of things come to light in this book. How about
some sneak peeks?

“That’s for sure. Goodness,
where would I even start?” Ema opens the book and flips a few pages.

“Here,
I’ll give you a few passages to share.”

Jesu shook his head.
“You need to remember what you are dealing with, Ema. You want to play the hero
and save everyone, but you need to wake up and realize that lives are going to
be lost no matter what and, when it comes to my father, tortured. Those scars
will never heal, Ema, because that is the kind of sadistic man my father is. It
is not enough for him to physically hurt people; he has to impair their minds,
too. He has to haunt them with reminders of what he has done so that they never
fully heal. He has to make sure they break.”I yanked my hand away
and glowered. “Good. I’m glad he mutilated me. You think I forgot the suffering
and fear I went through? You’re wrong. It’s because I remember it that I want
to end him so badly. I’m glad I have these scares to remind me. Apollyon didn’t
break me, Jesu. I’m not broken until I’m dead.”

****

A lot of people might die.

Jesu warned me, but the reality didn’t
sink in until now. I didn’t know the names of any of Nikolas’ soldiers, if they
had spouses or children, but it didn’t matter. I didn’t want any of them to get
hurt. I didn’t want any of them to not come back. They rallied about the room
like a bunch of high school football players before a homecoming game,
completely amped on the goal of winning. No doubt. No hesitation. It was stupid
and naïve—but I had to believe in their enthusiasm. I had to believe we would
all survive this, that the only ones who would die would be Apollyon and his
undead army. Not us.

Not us.

“Wow. Those are some heavy scenes.” Charlene slowly nods as
they sink in, and then shakes her head to get her mind on the next topic. “And
how is Bridget doing? I understand she still holds a flame for you Jesu. How do
you cope with that along with everything that’s going on?”

Ema crosses her arms over her
chest. “Yeah, Jesu, how do you cope?”

Jesu shifts in his seat and
clears his throat. “Um…not well, I’m afraid.”

Ema snorts.

“Ema, Let’s talk Apollyon. Any plans on how to end him? Or
is that classified information?”

Ema glances at the ruby hanging
from the silver rose anklet near her shoe. “Uh….”

Charlene follows her gaze and then winks. “Right. Let’s move
on… I heard a rumor that I don’t like at all. I bet you can guess what it is
too. Would you be willing to elaborate for my readers?”

Ema’s gaze widens and she learns
forward. “What rumor?”

Jesu clears his throat. “I think
Charlene is referring to us.”

“Us?”

“You know. Us. Our Relationship.”

“Oh. Ohhh… Oh.”

Jesu looks to Charlene. “It’s
complicated.”

Charlene quirks her lips, a little annoyed by the evasive
answer. “Hmm.”

“Nope! No! You get that idea out
of your head, mister! She is off limits. She can do so much better!” Ema pushes
to her feet and flails her arms around. “I’m going to go talk to her right
now!”

Jesu stands and nods to
Charlene. “It’s been…interesting? Do have us back soon. Maybe without my
brother?” He runs off after Ema, who is halfway down the driveway, muttering to
herself.

Charlene calls after them. “Well, thank you for being with
me today. It’s not often I have my favorite characters visit with me in my
home. Please be careful as you head back to Germany. And do give my best to
King Nicholas and Valafar!” She turns back to Jalmari with a wink. “Now,
Jalmari. How about that glass of blood?”

~ * ~

Ema Marx is in a race against time. Or rather, a race against Apollyon. A powerful weapon—the legendary philosopher’s stone—could tip the scale in favor of whoever gets their fangs on it first. For Ema, obtaining the stone is an uphill battle through love, alliance, heartbreak, and loyalty. Winning should mean the beginning of beautiful things, but the closer Ema gets to her destiny, the more uncertain her future becomes. Could it be this war was never meant for her? And why the heck doesn’t morning sickness adhere to rules of its own name?

J.D. Brown knows that vampires exist because she's dating one and no, he doesn't sparkle. Unfortunately, he's not immortal either (or maybe her standards are too low). A magnet for subcultures and weirdness, J.D. was that socially awkward girl with more fictional friends than real ones. As a child battling a hearing loss and a medical condition with no name, J.D. found comfort in books where strong women always saved the day and got the guy. An obsession with Charmed, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Heroes lead J.D. to believe that her mutated chromosome made her something more, not something less. Thus her stubborn flare to persevere was born. A lover of fine cuisine, coffee, and shoes, J.D. never understood why shoe stores don't serve Starbucks and soufflé. She resides in Wisconsin were she writes urban fantasy--aka vampires for adults--and has political debates with her dogs. She loves to hear from fans and is active on Facebook.com/AuthorJDBrown.Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Profile | GoodReads Profile

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Gotta share this with all my loves out there! The Transformation of Anna is on sale for a limited time for only .99cents at AMAZON! Just click on < that Amazon on in all caps or on the image below to be brought there. *smile*

ALSO

Aumelan ~ Blessed of the Gods is up for grabs on Goodreads! Enter to win and all we ask is that you leave an honest review of the book there (and on Amazon if you feel so inclined *wink*) The Giveaway ends on February 15th, so get that entry in!

Blessed of the Gods is also on Tour right now. So many stops it makes my head spin! You can enter to WIN a $25 Amazon gift card or Paypal cash at any of the tour hosts you visit. So be sure to follow along to catch the excerpts and sneak peeks. *smile*

Great news!

Aumelan ~ Blessed of the Gods is on the virtual shelves and ready for purchase!

*does the Snoopy dance around Charlene Blogs*

It's been 35 years in the waiting and now has a home at your favorite online book stores. A blog tour is in the planning for February 10-20th, but you all are special. I won't make you wait to get the scoop. *wink* So let's introduce it all proper and such with the blurb, excerpt, and book trailer for you to enjoy!

Aumelan ~ Blessed of the Gods

ISBN: 978-0989984645

Pages: 337 (paperback)

Publisher: Astraea Press

Blurb

The
unbelievable just hit Sun City. His name is Chad.

Chad Aumelan
is in love, but his world isn't right. Not when he's forbidden to have Dae just
because she's his slave.

When Salana
Goffin meets Chad, she's faced with the unbelievable: A man who must take
energy from a host to survive. He wants to find a cure to free the woman he
loves. How can Salana turn away such a noble cause?

Together,
they search for answers, but fate has another plan.

Book Trailer

Excerpt

Black clouds morphed across the
sky, and Salana pressed her forehead against the third-floor sunroom window.
Her hair framed the sides of her face, blocking the view of her indoor garden.

Another storm.

She blinked at the distant trees.
Silhouetted by the glow of the city, branches swung as if throwing punches at
the wind in a wild frenzy.

And another reason for Mother and
Father not to show.

Her breath misted the glass as
her whisper fell from her lips. “Then again, when do they ever show?” Flight
delays, meetings, vacations… One thing I can count on is their absence.

A thick bolt of lightning pierced
the heavens and cut the black sky in half. She blinked several times to
disperse the bright image and looked three stories below to the dark grounds.
Rain pounded the backyard terrace like silver streams as they reflected the
light from the glass sliding doors of the morning room. She could hardly make
out the ivory lounges and tables that pocked the area.

Thunder clashed, and the
arboretum quaked around her. Placing her finger at the center of the misted
glass, she traced a straight line downward until her hand fell to her side.
With a sigh, she turned her back on the scene and scanned her garden nook.Black iron trellises stretched
around her favorite trio of garden chairs and hourglass stands. The cozy
loveseat seemed to invite her to curl up in its overstuffed lap to pout.She strolled to the flowers and
stroked a yellow bud. “But you’ve always been here, haven’t you?”

Plucking the
perfect bloom, she sighed and then tucked it behind her ear.

Tip-taps sounded from beyond the
nook, and her nanny’s blue quarter-moon eyes peeked around the trellis. Her
singsong voice danced off the tip of her tongue. “There you are, Ducky.”

Despite Salana’s gloom, the sweet
words warmed her heart. An involuntary twitch tugged the corner of her mouth
into a lopsided grin. No matter they never show. Nina’s always here. Always.
“There I am.”

“I knew I’d find you among the flowers.”
Nina’s hair brushed the shoulder of her paisley-print blouse as she dipped her
head to the side. “You know you shouldn’t be up here in such a storm. The news
circuits say it’s taking down trees all along the coast. Sun City’s going to
get a good pounding.”

Her melodic tone played alongside
the heavy rhythm of rain on the solarium roof. “The weather this summer has
been so odd. I must say, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many storms since the
flood when you were a little girl.” She sighed. “Needless to say, your mother
and father’s flight was canceled. They decided to just stay in North Arba and
leave for Crescent Steeple from there. Those caves make for good protection
against weather like this. Always wondered what people saw in living beneath
the rock, but there you have it. One good reason, anyway.”

“From what I understand, there
are a lot more down there than those who live in that bordering city.”

“An odd lot, those deep dwellers,
even more odd than the Arbans. But the Arbans did negotiate a treaty of sorts
with the Terracians, so...” Nina blinked and upped her fair brows as her voice
trailed from the topic. “Well, at any count, you’ll have to stand in for them
at the embassy’s quatercentenary celebration this weekend.”

Salana nodded. Nothing new.

“I’ll lay out a nice ceremonial
outfit. I assume you won’t be wearing the Terracian medallion for this one.
Senator Kelborn and all the opposition leaders will be there, you know.” She
glanced to the side. “Your father had doubts they’d show, considering all the
territories were invited. Good thing the Terracians turned down the invite
after all. But, you won’t want to stir things up…”

Salana held up her hand to get a
word in—a gesture she’d found the most effective when talking with Nina. “I’m
wearing the medallion. I’ve worn it to every official gathering I’ve ever
attended.”

“Oh, but, Ducky. In this case,
you could be shunned for taking that kind of stand. You’re not a child. You’ll
be nineteen, come winter, and that’s well into accountability age. It won’t be
overlooked.”

Folding her arms, Salana cocked
her hip to the side, allowing her long hair to brush her backside. “If Mother
were to be there, she’d be the one taking the stand simply by being who she is.
She’d be shunned, but would stand tall.”

“It would be a simple shunning.
Not that any shunning is seen as simple, really, but she has no choice of who
she is.”

Salana filled her lungs with the
floral-scented air to control her response. “Nina, I’m Terracian, too.”

She paused as the fact sent
warmth to her cheeks. When had she taken that as truth? It had been a shock
when her parents shared that bit of information after her ninth birthday. Her
heart swelled and she fingered the neckline of her sweater where the three
interconnected circles of her medallion would rest. Such a special moment it
had been when her mother adorned her with the medallion of womanhood in pure
Terrace Well tradition.

That’s when I took it as truth.

“You were born Sun Nation. Just
like your father. You have a choice in what you decide to represent.”

With a deliberate blink, Salana
allowed her tone to make it clear the conversation ended. “I’m wearing my
medallion.”

Nina’s thin lips bent into a
sweet smile. Her slow tip-taps crossed the sitting area, and she lifted her
hand, combing the strands from Salana’s face. “Of course you are. I’ll weave
your hair early that morning so it won’t appear too tight by the celebration.
The gold clips to hold your Daughter of the Nation brow band in place?”

“Sure.”

Lightning streaked above the
glass ceiling, and a web of strobes flashed across the sky. Thunder clashed,
shaking palms and ivory around them. Familiar loneliness woke in Salana’s heart
with a start.

They won’t be showing…again.

“Then let’s get you down to your
room. You need to get a good night’s sleep, and my heart needs to know you
won’t stay up here in all of this.”

With a nod, Salana followed her
through the aisles of blooms. Twangs of isolation accompanied her, but the
small hope of another visitor kept them at bay.

As Nina reached to turn off the
light, she glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, and Thomey called just before I came
up. He won’t be making it tonight. All that work at the lab, you know.”

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Hey y'all! Sorry I haven't gotten a Savory Sunday up in a few weeks. A lot has been going on and I haven't been able to be online much but that is changing now :) I though today we would go for a nice easy sweet treat as our recipe for today. So without further ado, Strawberry Angel Food Cake!
~Blythe, Charlene A. Wilson PA